A lot of the processes in your body rely on good digestion. Without a properly working digestive system, your body would absorb the nutrients from the foods that you eat, inefficiently! These nutrients and digestive enzymes are important, as your body needs them to support its normal function.
This is where the power of digestive enzymes comes into play. Within this guide, we will be taking you through the importance of a healthy digestive system and the role in which digestive enzymes have. Before you know it, you’ll know what’s occurring in your body right as you’re reading this guide.
The Importance Of A Healthy Digestive System
As mentioned previously, your body needs a healthy digestive system so that it can absorb all of the right nutrients properly. But, this isn’t the only reason.
As a whole, your body relies on its digestive system to remain generally healthy. A poor digestive system can cause havoc with all other parts of the body, initiating symptoms like:
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea and constipation
What Are Digestive Enzymes?
Digestive enzymes are special proteins that get released into your digestive system. They come from the pancreas and small intestine. Their job is to break down the foods that you eat, turning the right parts into nutrients so that your body can absorb them and use them.
Although there are many different types of enzymes, the main ones are:
- Amylase – breaks down carbohydrate into sugars
- Protease – digests proteins into amino acids
- Lipase – converts fats (lipids) into fatty acids and glycerol.
How Do Digestive Enzymes Work?
Digestive enzymes help your natural enzymes to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. When the foods are broken down, the nutrients travel through the wall of your small intestine before distributing them throughout your bloodstream.
If supplementing digestive enzymes or increasing the amount you consume, they must be taken before you eat. This is so that they can be ready and waiting in your digestive system when the food hits. Taking them without food will not be beneficial.
Natural Sources Of Digestive Enzymes
There are actually quite a lot of foods that contain digestive enzymes. This makes it easier to support your digestive system as much as you can. Certain foods you can add to your diet today include:
- Banana
- Ginger
- Avocado
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Papaya
- Honey
A lot of people also choose to take turmeric supplements to support healthy digestion if they feel as though their diet isn’t helping enough.
When To Visit Your Doctor
While there are things that you can do to support your digestive system, sometimes, this isn’t enough. There might be times throughout life when expert guidance is needed!
There are many health problems that might result in poor functioning enzymes. If you are experiencing symptoms of a poor digestive system or feel as though something isn’t right, don’t be afraid to visit a health professional. They will be able to run some tests and establish what’s causing the problems.
Tags: digestion, digestive enzymes, gut, healthy gut, nutrition
